Former Choppers’ d-man Viveiros to coach Austria in Sochi

Emanuel Viveiros, a former defenseman who played 14 games for the ill-fated Albany Choppers in 1990-91, will serve as Austria’s head coach when they head to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics next month.
Viveiros, 48, leads the underdog Austrian Eagles to an Olympics for the first time since 2002, their 13th Olympic appearance of all-time.

A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Viveiros maintains dual citizenship with Canada and Austria, which makes him eligible to coach Austria’s national team in Sochi.

“It’s a very exciting time for hockey in Austria,” Viveiros told the St. Albert Gazette in a phone interview from his team’s headquarters in Klagenfurt. “We kind of pinch ourselves every day that we have an opportunity to go there and take part in an Olympics.”

Viveiros spent parts of 17 seasons as a player in Europe, including 13 in Austria, following a North American professional career that saw him suit up for teams in Minnesota (NHL), Springfield (AHL), Kalamazoo (IHL), and, of course, Albany (IHL).

During his short time with the Choppers, Viveiros put up three goals and 10 assists before the team folded mid-season on February 15, 1991. He would continue to play with AHL Springfield that season, registering two goals and 22 assists over 48 games for the Indians.

No worries, Ed. As you have since noticed, Pete covered Lange’s inclusion on the Austrian roster earlier. I usually only help with coverage of the pro players that came through this area anyway, but thanks for the heads up regardless.